Joshua 8:4-17

⁴And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, in the rear of the city; go not very far from the city; and be ye all ready;

⁵And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city; and it shall come to pass that, when they come out against us, as at the first time, we will flee before them;

⁶And they will come out after us, till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee from us as at the first time: and we will flee before them.

⁷And then shall ye rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; and the Lord your God will deliver it in into your hand.

⁸And it shall be, that as soon as ye have seized the city, ye shall set the city on fire; according to the word of the Lord shall ye do: see, I have commanded you.

⁹And Joshua sent them off: and they went to lie in ambush, and remained between Beth-el and 'Ai, on the west side of 'Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

¹⁰And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people, toward 'Ai.

¹¹And all the people of war that were with him went up, and drew nigh, and came opposite the city, and encamped on the north side of 'Ai; and the valley was between them and 'Ai.

¹²And he took about five thousand men, and set them as an ambush between Beth-el and 'Ai, on the west side of 'Ai.

¹³And the people, all the camp that was on the north of the city, and its ambush on the west of the city got ready; and Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

¹⁴And it came to pass, when the king of 'Ai saw this, the men of the city hastened and rose up early, and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the plain; but he knew not that there was an ambush against him in the rear of the city.

¹⁵And Joshua and Israel feigned themselves beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

¹⁶And all the people that were in 'Ai were called together to pursue after them; and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.

¹⁷And there was not a man left in 'Ai or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel; and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.